Carburetor



1934. G, KENNEDY 1,971,527

CARBURETOR Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

CARBURETOR Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY MZFW ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 28, 1934 1 CARBUEETOR Guy L. KennedyrNew York, N. Y., assignor to Ken-Grip Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application January 5, 1925, Serial No. 687. Divided and" this application August 13, 1925, Serial No. 49,963. Renewed October 13, 1932 7 Claims. (01. 2261-44) This invention relates to improvements in car- I use the numeral 1 to indicate a tubular casing buretors; particularly carburetors to supply in: which has a bore. 2 extending longitudinally flammable motive agent for internal combustion through it, and is open at both ends. The bore2 engines, is indicated as a cylinder in cross-section, but may An object of the invention is to provide a simhave any other desired shape, and mounted in ple, efficient and inexpensive carburetor that will the casing 1, so as to control the bore 2, are two so vaporize a combustible liquid as to yield a valves 3 and 4. The valve 4 may be regarded as a homogeneous practically dry product; and that is throttle or vacuum regulating valve, and is designed to maintain asubstantially constant vacmounted upon a transverse shaft 5 which is ro- 10 uum during vaporization, regardless of the fluctatably supported in bearings in the sides of the tuating vacuum in the intake manifold of the casing, so that this valvecan be turned to be disengine, posed transversely of the bore 2, and thus close A further object of this invention is to provide the bore, or with its plane more or less in line a carburetor having a peculiar form of air 0011- with the bore, so as to open it. I also mount the- 15 trolling valve and fuel-spray nozzle combined to valve 3 so that it can turn about an axis transefiect vaporization and regulate the flow ofcomverse with respect to the bore 2 to open or closing bustible motive agent to the engine in the manner position, this valve being supported upon a rorequired, tatable shaft or spindle 6, turning in bearings in These and other objects and advantages of the the side of the casing 1, and being preferably p 20 invention will be made clear in the following deallel to the shaft 5. The valve 3 is hollow and scription and the novel features of my improved closes an interior chamber 7, and this valve is also carburetor will be defined in the appended claims. provided with an outlet 8 in the form of a slot, as But this disclosure is, of course, illustrative only, indicated particularly in Figures 1, 5 and 6. On and I may alter the details of construction acthe inside of the valve 3, the spindle 6 is bored 25 tually shown herein, to a considerable extent, as to provide a pair of ports 9 which communicate indicated by the broadmeanings of the terms with a duct 10 through which gasoline and air in which the claims are expressed. V passby way of the ports or nozzles 9, to the cham- On the drawings, her '7, and the gasoline thus admitted to the Figure 1 is a view of a carburetor according to chamber 7 intermingles with the air in this cham-' 30 my invention, in longitudinal section, on an enher and flows out through the slot 8 into the bore larged scale; 2. Therefore, the valve 3 serves as an air regulat- Figure 2 is a side View thereof, partly in seci g Va v and Spray IlOZZle Combined This valve 3 should preferably have the shape Figure 3 is an opposite side View; of an oblate sphere consisting of two halves 11,,

Figure 4 is a bottom plan of the carburetor;. each half being hemispherical in shape, but-not Figure 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Figure l, truly hemispherical; and being somewhat flatlooking downward, some of the outside members tened, and also held together rim to rim by a. of the carburetor being omitted, the air valve screw 12 which passes directly through the spinand spray nozzle being illustrated as fully open; dle 6, the rims of each half 11 be n r c s 4O Figure 6 is a similar section, the air valve and enable them to be clamped upon the shaft or spray nozzle in this view being in shut off or throtspindle c with their edges in contact, except over tle position, this view being in section on both the portions where the opposed edges-0f the two. line 5-5 and line 6-6 on Figure 1; halves are cutaway to provide the slot 8. This Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and llare views showing the slot is entirely at one side of the valve and is 45 construction and function of the means for adsomewhat less than a semicircle in length. As mitting and regulating the admission of gasoline shown clearly in the drawings, the diameter of to the carburetor; d this valve measured in the plane of the contact- Figure 12 is a sectional view showing a modiing edges or. rims of the substantially hemispherfication of the carburetor in one detail. ical halves 11, is greater than the diameter coin- The same numerals identify the same parts ciding with the axis of the screw 12, the valve 3 throughout. thus being oblate in 'form or in the form of a This application is a division of my copending sphere 'flattened at the poles and bulging at the application for a patent. oncarburetors, Serial equator. The equatorial diameter is indicated by N0., 687; filed January 5th, 1925. the dotted line E in Figures 1 and 6, and the polar 55 In the particular description of the drawings, diameter by the line indicated by the letter P in Figure 5. When the valve is turned on its shaft 6 so as to carry it into the position shown in Figure 5, that is, with the polar diameter P transverse to the axis or" the bore 2, it will open the bore 2 and permit to flow through same as fully as the shape of this valve will permit; but when it is revolved into such a position that the polar diameter is brought into line with the axis of the bore 2, thus placing the equatorial plane of the valve across the bore, the valve 3 will then close or nearly close the bore, and reduce the flow of a: through the carburetor to a minimum. As indicated by the numeral 13, the valve 3 even when its occupies the position shown in Figure 6, will be separated from the inside surface of the bore 2 around its periphery by a small annular space 13, and this space will be considerably larger when the valve is turned to its fullest open position as shown in Figures 1 and 5. At one side of the casing the spindle 6 is engaged by an external bearing '14 and at th opposite side of the spindle, it turns in another outside bearing 15.

As I shall describe more fully below, the shape of the combined air regulating valve and spray nozzle 3 is such that the bore 2 can be opened to permit more and more air to flow therethrough in direct proportion to the degree of angular displacement of this valve from the position shown in Figure 6 to that of Figure 1; that is, when the valve is turned from the position shown in Fig ure 6 through as degrees towards full open position, it will permit twice as much air to flow past it, as when it is turned through only 22 degrees, and when it is turned through 98 degrees to full open position, it allows twice as much air to flow past it, as when it is turned through only degrees; thus the quantity of air which flows through the casing 1 is increased or decreased in the same ratio as the angular distance of the valve towards or from the position shown in Figure 6 is increased or decreased.

The extremity of the shaft 6 which is supported in the bearing 14 may be solid and integral, but the opposite extremity which turns in the hollow external projection or hearing 15, is hollow and comprises at least two parts or members for the convenient admission and regulation of gasoline and air to the carburetor. Thus the portion of the shaft 6 which contains the axial duct 10 delivering through the two ports or nozzles 9 to the chamber 7, is expanded on the outside of the casing 1 to provide a disc or head 16, provided with a rim 17; making in eifect a cup-shaped member which forms one section of the valve for regulating the gasoline suppli d to the carburetor. This valve for supplying and regulating the gasoline is shown fully in Figures 1, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 inclusive. The rim 1'? of the disc 16 above mentioned, consists of two portions 18 and 19, the portion 18 being of less height than the portion 19, to provide a pair of shoulders 20, each portion being substantially half of a circumference. The other section of this valve is provided by a simi-- lar disc 16, rigid with a journal 6A to be in axial alinement with the main portion of the shaft 6, and this section also has the form of a cylinder cup with a rim 17 comprising as before, two portions 18 and 19 of unequal depths, measured in the direction of the axis of the cup, to provide two rotated. In the portion 19 of the rim 17', of greater depth, on the disc 16, attached to the journal 6A, is cut a notch or recess 21, this notch beginning at the point a, Figure 7, and extending along a straight diagonal line b, to a shoulder c, the recess being about degrees in extent, and with its extremities, namely the point a and the shoulder c equi-distant from the two shoulders 20. Hence, when the two sections of this valve are assembled rim to rirn, the recess will permit communication with the interior of the valve, so that gasoline can flow through this recess which will serve as an inlet for the gasoline to pass into the rotary valve to the duct 16. At its outer extremity, the projection 15 has internal threads 22, to engage external threads upon a perforated element or nut 23, between which and the extremity of the bearing 15, is clamped a washer or packing 24. This nut is perforated and serves as a bearing for the journal 6A.

The projection 15 has an extension 25 receiving in its outer extremity a gland 26 to secure therein a gasoline supply conduit 2? having a bore 28. See Figure 2. This bore 28 leads to an inlet opening 29 in the side of the projection 15 and when the port formed by the triangular recess 21 in the hollow rotary valve disposed within the bearing 15, uncovers this inlet 29, gasoiine can, of course, flow freely into the valve for regulating the gaso line in the projection 15, and thence by way of the duct 10, through the nozzles 9 to the chamber '7 in the valve 3. In practice, the rims of the two sections of this valve do not quite make contact with each other, but separated to a slight extent, as indicated in Figures 1, 8, 9 and 11; and for this purpose, I place inside of the valve a compression spring 30, which seats against the two opposing discs 16 and normally tends to move the two sections of the rotary gasoline valve apart.

Figure 7 shows the two sections of the valve for regulating the gasoline, in perspective, before assembling; while Figure 8 shows these two sections brought together rim to rim with the triangular recess forming the inlet port which leads to the interior of this valve, on top. The axis of the extension 25 is at right angles to the axis of the bore 2, so that when the casing 1 is vertical, both the projection 15 and extension 25 will lie in a horizontal plane, and, therefore, the conduit 27 will communicate with the interior of the valve for controlling the gasoline through the inlet 29, through the side of the projection 15. The location of the conduit 27 is indicated in Figure 8 with reference to the axis of the spindle 6 only; but when the valve 3 is in such position that it closes as much as possible, the bore 2, the valve for controlling the entrance of gasoline to the carburetor, will be in such position that the point a of the notch or port 21 will be substantially in line with the bore 28 through the conduit 27, as indicated in Figure 9. No gasoline at all, or or y enough for idling, at most, will now be enabl d to flow into the carburetor. As, however, the valve 3 is turned to bring its polar axis more and more transverse to the axis of the bore 2, the diagonal edge b of the port or recess 21, will pass across the inlet 29 and expose a larger and larger portion of the area of the bore 28, and thus admit more and more gasoline to the inside of the valve and the duct 10. When the valve 3 has come to such position that it opens the bore 2 as much as possible, the sections of the valve for controlling the gasoline will occupy the position shown in Figures 1 and 11 with the shoulder c adjacent the inlet 29 and with the area of the bore 28 in the conduit 27 uncovered 1S5 to the maximum extent. By turning the nut 23, the position of the diagonal edge of the notchor port 21 can be so adjusted that the extent to which the inlet 29 will be uncovered, as the valve for admitting the gasoline is rotated, can be adjusted and increased or decreased at will.

As the edge b of the notch 21 is diagonal with reference to the spindle 6, it is clear that more and more gasoline will be admitted in direct proportion to the angular degree of rotation of the valve for controlling the gasoline in the same manner as thesupply of air is regulated by the oblate spherical valve 3. That is, in the positions of the parts shown in Figure 1, twice as much air and twice as much gasoline will be admitted to the carburetor, as when the parts occupy positions 45 degrees distant, and so for all other positions, so that while the quantities of air and gasoline may be varied, the amounts of the two ingredients are always present in the same ratio, and the composition of the fuel which results from the action of the air upon the gasoline is rendered constant. At the same time, precise and complete regulation as to the amount of air and gasoline admitted can always be secured, and the quantity of each will be increased in exact proportion to the extent of angular movement of the valve 3, and the valve of my copending application, Serial No. 49,964,-

filed of even date herewith.

The end of the shaft 6 adjacent the bearing 14 has aifixed thereto an arm 31, and on the corresponding end of the shaft 5 is a similar arm 32. These two arms 31 and 32 are united by a link 33, to be operated together.

On the interior of the casing 1, between the valves 3 and 4 is a tubular member 34, presenting a relatively large end 85 to the valve 3, and secured around its periphery at this end to the inside surface of the bore 2. The opposite end of this member is smaller, and separated from the inside of the bore 2 by an annular space 36. Between its ends the member 34 is contracted, as shown at 3'7, somewhat like a Venturi tube. Opposite the contraction 37, the casing- 1 has an air inlet port 38, controlled by an arc shaped strip or shutter plate 39, with a curved slot 40 therein. To the convex edge of the plate 39 at the middle is aflixed an arm 41, bent to extend towards the lever 31, with an opening 42 to give passage to the end of the spindle 6; and having a transverse slot 43, to receive a screw 44, entering a threaded opening 45 in the arm 31. By means of this screw and slot, the arm 41 and plate 39 can be adjusted within the necessary limits.

The arm 31 is perforated to be united to a link connected to an actuating lever, and the valves 3 and 4, of course, move together. As the valve 3 and the valve for the gasoline in the projection 15 are opened further and further, more air and more fuel are admitted to flow through the casing in exact proportion to the degree of irrevement of these valves from fully closed to fully open position; but the ratio of the quantity of chamber and taken up by the air, are sprayed,

through the slot 8; this slot being turned to-.

wards the member 34 as, the valve 3 moves fully .to 'open position. Upon passing the contraction 37, the air and vaporized gasoline meet and mix with air entering the port 38 and flowing through the annular space 36. Thus air coming in by way of the inlet 38 blows, through the space 36 towards the axis of the bore 2, all around the member 34, forcing the spray of air and gasoline to intermingle still further, the gasoline thus be-.

coming more completely vaporized, so that when the intake manifold of the engine isreached, a practically dry combustible motive agent has been produced. Hence the member 34 facilitates vaporization with the annular air space 36 and inlet 38, through which air flows and escapes as a thin annular stream, to envelop and surround the spray of air and gasoline proceeding from the air regulating valve and spray nozzle 3. This annular stream of air surrounds the spray and drives any unvaporized particles of the mixture that may reach this point, away from the surrounding wall of the casing to the axis of the bore 2, and greatly increases vaporizing action. As many of these annular air streams and members 34 may be employed as may be found necessary to secure a satisfactory degree of vaporization.

The part of the carburetor for admitting air by way of port 38; and the member 34 are recited in the claims of my application, Serial No. 687, above-mentioned. Of course, under working conditions, the pumping action of the pistons in the engine to which the carburetor is attached is what induces air to flow into the carburetor and through the bore 2 thereof.

During the practical operation of the engine, the vacuum in the intake manifold is greatest when the valve 3. is closed, but the aspirating effect on this valve and spray nozzle is then the least. When this valve is opened, the vacuum in the intake manifold in the engine is then least, but the aspirating eiTect of the air flowing past the valve 3 is then greatest. Therefore, starting with the valve 3 substantially closed, the vacuum in the intake manifold is great enough to insure a sufficiently high vacuum in the inside of the valve 3 to aiford an unbalanced pressure quite large enough to force the fuel in through the duct 9 and outlets 10.

As the valve is opened, the vacuum in the manifold of the engine becomes less and less and there-= fore the vacuuminside of the valve 3 would also become less, and eventually it would disappear so that no fuel at all would be forced into this valve and out through the slot 8. But as the valve is opened more and more, a larger and larger volume of air flows at sufiiciently high velocity past this valve and the increase in the entraining or aspirating eifect of this air as itfiows by the slot 8 maintains the value of the vacuum inside the valve 3 to the extent required to insure a con tinued flow of fuel through the outlets 9. The vacuum in the valve 3 is thus kept adequate throughout the entire range of the turning movement of the valve from closed to full open position, and a steady inflow of gasoline through the duct 10 into the valve 3 is always maintained.

The slot 40 in the shutter-plate 39 is not as long as the plate, but leaves unperforated portions of the same area at the ends of the plate. When the air regulating valve 3 is closed as in Figure 6, one end of the plate 39 closes the port 38, and when the valve 3 is turned by the lever 31 to fully open position as in Figure l, the other end portion of the shutter-plate 39 also closes the port 38; but on passing from closed to fully open position of valve 3 or vice versa, the slot 40 in the plate 39 exposes the air inlet port 38, and admits air throughout a turn of 90 degrees. When the valve 3 is closed, the air inlet 38 is closed to allow the engine to idle; and the inlet 38 is also closed when the valves 3 and 4 are opened fully for starting, but at intermediate positions of the valves 3 and l, the air inlet is exposed through the slot 40.

At its lower end, the casing may have the usual air-choke valve 47, mounted on a shaft 48, rotating in bearings 49, and carrying an operating arm 50. The arm 31 has one or more openings 51 to attach it to an operating lever.

In some cases, I may dispense with the arcshaped shutterplate 39, and adopt the construction shown in Figure 12. The outer end of the boss surrounding the inlet 38 is internally threaded, and into this boss is screwed a bushing 52, bearing a poppet valve 53, seating on its inner extremity. This bushing has screw threads 54 on its outer end to receive a perforated cap 55, with a central bearing 56, in which the valve stem 57 can slide. This stem has threads 58 at its outer end to be engaged by a nut 59, and between the nut 59 and the cap 55 is a spring 60, holding the valve normally shut. The nut enables the tension of the spring to be adjusted as required. This modification operates as above to admit air during normal running of the engine.

At the top of the casing is a flange 61 to enable the carburetor to be bolted to the end of the conduit leading to the intake manifold of the engine. With the construction above set forth, the vacuum in the chamber 7 and in the casing 1 adjacent the member 3 will always be sufiicient for the injection of fuel into the carburetor, when the fuel tank is below the level of the carburetor and under all other conditions, and this vacuum and the velocity of the air flowing in the carburetor will always ensure the complete vaporization of the fuel in operation. 7

While I have mentioned gasoline herein, I wish to be understood as asserting that I am not limited thereto, but any other volatile hydrocarbon may also be employed.

Sometimes the passage 6' may be omitted and the journal 6A closed entirely. The principle herein set forth is adapted for operation at any point in the intake manifold as well as in the main intake pipe of the engine, where the valve or controlling means or element 3 is shown as actually situated. Hence I do not wish to be limited. to any particular location of the valve 3 and parts associated with same.

Having described my invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:--

1. A carburetor having a casing with a bore therethrough, a valve in said bore to control the same, a rotatable spindle on which the valve is mounted supported by the casing and extending transversely of said bore, the valve having convex opposite faces, and being of such transverse dimensions that it can be turned by said spindle to dispose said faces normal to the axis of said bore 7 and still have its periphery separated by a small space from the surrounding interior surface thereof.

2. A carburetor having a casing with a bore therethrough, a valve in said bore to control the same, a rotatable spindle on which. the valve is mounted supported by the casing and extending transversely of said bore, the valve having convex opposite faces, and being of such transverse dimensions that it can be turned by said spindle to dispose said faces normal to the axis of said bore and still have its periphery separated by a small space from the surrounding interior surface thereof, the valve having a chamber of material size therein and an outlet from said chamber to said bore, and said spindle having a duct opening into said chamber to admit thereto liquid fuel which may escape from same into said bore.

3. A carburetor comprising a casing with a bore therethrough, a spindle supported by the casing transverse to said bore, and a pair of hollow flattened hemispherical parts secured rim to rim on said spindle, and forming a valve with a chamber therein, the spindle having an inlet to the chamher said valve being slotted in the plane of said rims to put the chamber into communication with the bore.

4. A ca "buretor comprising a casing with a bore therethrough, a spindle extending transversely of said bore supported by the casing, a valve having convex opposite faces mounted on the spindle, the casing having an inlet leading to the bore beyond the valve, a slotted valve for said inlet outside of said casing, and a connection between the lastnamed valve and the spindle to enable the two valves to be actuated in unison.

5. A carburetor comprising a casing with a bore therethrough, a spindle extending transversely of said bore supported by the casing, a valve having convex opposite faces mounted on the spindle, the casing having an inlet leading to the bore beyond the valve, a slotted valve for said inlet outside of said casing, and a connection between the last-named valve and the spindle to enable the two valves to be actuated in unison, the valve on said spindle having a chamber therein, with an outlet to said bore, and the spindle having a duct to deliver fuel to said chamber.

6. A carburetor comprising a casing with a bore therethrough, a spindle extending transversely of the bore supported by the casing, a valve having convex opposite faces mounted on the spindle, and a tubular member in the casing beyond the valve, secured to the inside surface of said bore around its end adjacent to said valve, but spaced from the inside of the bore at its opposite end, the casing having an inlet through one side between said two ends of said member.

7. A carburetor comprising a casing with a bore therethrough, a spindle extending transversely of the bore supported by the casing, a valve 3 having convex opposite faces mounted on the spindle, and a tubular member in the casing beyond the valve, secured to the inside surface of said bore around its end adjacent to said valve, but spaced from the inside of the bore at its opposite end, the casing having an inlet through one side between the ends of said member, inlet having a slotted valve, said last named valve hav-- ing a connection with said spindle, so that the two valves can be operated in unison, the valve on the spindle having a chamber of material size therein with an outlet to said bore, and the spindle having a duct to supply fuel to said chamber.

GUY L. KENNEDY. 

